Brand design is often mistaken for aesthetics. But great brands don’t start with what they look like – they start with what they stand for. In this article, Micaela Marques Pinto shares why strategic storytelling is more than a tool – it’s the foundation for meaningful design.
Story as Strategy
A clear visual language is important. But behind every strong brand lies something deeper: a reason to exist. A why. Without this foundation, design is just surface. With it, design becomes intentional, relevant and impactful.
Strategic storytelling is the process of uncovering that why – creating a narrative that people can connect with, believe in, and carry forward. This narrative, in turn, gets translated into and gives meaning to a brand’s communication on every level.
Slogans, claims and punchlines may be what comes to mind when we think about storytelling. But they rarely come first. They are usually the distilled, highly concentrated essence of a bigger story; not the beginning of it. So for them to be good, they must have substance – there must be a holistic alignment of values, voice and vision behind them. Great design makes that alignment felt in every touchpoint.
You cannot not communicate!
What we need to remember is, “you cannot not communicate!”, as the communication expert Paul Watzlawick put it. You are alwaystelling a story, you are always expressing something, whether you mean to or not. So the “strategic” part in strategic storytelling is about finding out what drives you, what matters to you and creating the story around it with intention.
This is, first of all, an essential part of shaping your corporate culture, since it will help motivate and guide your team and even yourself, when you can’t see the forest for the trees. As for the external communication: If your story is perceived as muddled or weak, your brand will either go under or be shaped by someone else, often times your competitors!
A Story You Can Build On
Good stories tell people who you are and what you stand for, so they create a shared understanding across teams and audiences. A good story guides design decisions, tone of voice, product naming, campaign strategy – even business priorities. It makes your brand consistent and memorable.
Nevertheless, it is also allowed to evolve and change – just like a person. As long as you’re able to convey your “why”, people will understand and connect with your story.
«Would you be interested in a person with a weak character, no values, nothing to say? I don’t think so! The same goes for brands. The better you can tell the story of who you are and make your purpose clear through brand design, the more power your brand will have.»
From Brand to Culture
The strongest brands don’t just represent their companies – they become mindsets, moods and even whole cultural movements. Strategic storytelling is what makes this possible. It turns abstract values into tangible actions and behaviours. It brings identity to life, not just in what’s said and shown, but in what’s done.
About the Author:
Micaela Marques Pinto develops strategic narratives at distylerie. Her intrinsic curiosity and conceptual vision help companies find the story beneath the surface – and make it matter.
Article published on 05 June 2025
